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I've started getting a bit cocky with the traffic lately. Coming into KTM the other week we were overtaking a bus when another bus came the other way. Normally I play the "white person on a big german motorcycle" card and the oncoming vehicle gives me space. This time, the oncoming bus didn't pull over and "our" bus pulled out a bit. The narrow space between the buses closed uncomfortably into a long tunnel. I tried to hold the bike straight as possible but the space disappeared and we got sandwiched. The left hand bar-end got jammed in the wheel arch and so did my hand - luckily I was wearing gloves. Something spinning fast - probably the wheel rim - ground into the engine bars. After about 50yds we got disentangled but luckily stayed upright. Been a bit more circumspect since whilst jousting in traffic.

Tried to put your pics up. Looks like Fotki.com acts very wierd. They show most of the pics on separate window, but not in the thread. Dunno the reason, maybe the fotki.com server understands their bandwith is wasted.

TIP: i put those pics that doesn't show in the thread with link. Clicking on them says error, but if click to the address of that page and push ENTER, it shows the pic.

OUCH!!

We’ve been up in Manali in the Indian Himalayas where it’s lovely. Unfortunately we (I) decided to do a 5 day paragliding course coz it's well cheap here. Well, it went well for 5 days. We were both flying and landing really well. On the last day we had to make 10 flights each. As we'd got better, we'd moved up this ridge to give us a better, higher lift-off. This also gave a smaller margin for error. On Tasha's 7th flight she was hit by a sudden crosswind on take-off which threw her to the right. She landed heavily in a gully.

When I got up to her she was already on her feet. We walked down the hill with our instructor and she was still in pain - in her lower back. The paragliders have a small ambulance on site so we took her to hospital in Manali about 15k away.

After x-ray they discovered her L1 vertebra was fractured. They had no orthopaedic specialist there so we had to organise a taxi to Chandaghar - some 9hrs drive south. We loaded her on to a board and made the journey overnight. Met with a spinal specialist 1st thing then she had MRI and CT scans. We're checked into this private hospital and the surgeon (who is well renowned) operated at 6am the next morning to insert 4 titanium screws into the vertebra. He reckons 4-5 days to recover and move fully. There is no loss of movement and he expects total recovery. Tasha is in a bit of pain but in quite good spirits although she's been a bit drowsy from pain medication. Whole lot’s cost about US$3500 so far which is a bit of a hole in our budget but obviously still cheap by western standards. After a week in the hospital we checked out and flew to Delhi where I put Tasha on a flight home. It could have been much worse though - the fracture was unstable so paralysis could have happened...

On the positive side, there was a huge TV in our hospital room with cable so I got to see all the football!

Still planning to ride up to Ladakh - just without a pillion now - so had to catch a bus back up to Manali. 12hr overnight sleeper bus sounded good. After one major breakdown, one puncture, 3 bus changes and one huge traffic jam - arrive in Manali 31 hrs later!

Well it had to happen some time.

Riding up from Manali to Solang Nullah to meet our paragliding instructor and tell him about Tasah's recovery.

I'm passing a bus coming the other way when this guy who is crossing the road behind the bus runs out directly into my path. Only doing about 50-55kmh but I only see him as I'm about to hit him. Hit the brakes as I try to move to the right and miss him but there's no chance. I hit him hard and the front end tucks and down I go - equally hard. Luckily I'm wearing most of my protective gear so not too badly scuffed. The guy is ok too. Bike doesn't fare so well - tank dented and rocker cover broken - oil is pissing out over the road.

Much swearing ensues but Lars, German buddy on R100GS, goes and fetches some oil and we tape up the cover and refill the oil and limp 4km back to the local workshop we know.

Now need to fix or replace the cover. Anyone know about BMW spares in India?

Notice that my left arm is now agony - can't move it at all. Some seriously strong painkillers and several beers later it's recovering.

Just ridden up to Ladakh, camped out at 4700m then rode 200km to Tso Moriri - a lake at 4885m - and camped out there. 100km of that was offroad. Proper offroad and all over 4000m. We were knackered - esp picking up 300kg BMWs out of deep sand several times.

Well finally made it up into the Nubra valley over the pass at Khardung La - the world's highest motorable road at 5608m or 18,380ft in old money. This is a restricted area and you need special permits to enter.

Set out with Lars on his 100GS from Leh with the pass 40km away. The ride up was pretty easy with mostly good road surfaces. The army have road building camps up here and the poor buggers are stuck here for 2 years at a time. It gets down to -40C in winter.Bit of snow towards the top but nothing serious. It was almost an anti climax to arrive as we had coffee in the cafe. A good ride down into the beautiful valley followed. We stayed in Hunder which is as far as you can go towards the Chinese(Tibetan) border.

After 2 days waiting for sunny weather (which didn't come) we headed back. The ride was very different this time. For starters I had a lovely Belgian girl (Brenda) on the back. She was feeling a bit ill and didn't fancy the return trip on the back of a crappy rented Enfield. The weather was a lot colder and as we climbed up to the pass the snow came. We slipped and slithered up to the top as more and more snow fell. Luckily heated grips and footwarmers (boxer engine) kept the extremities from freezing and we made it to the top for chocolate, coffee and biscuits. Brenda's feet were frozen so the army guys let ther warm them over their gas stove and even massaged some life back into them for her. Lars and I didn't get offered the same treatment.

The way down was difficult - thick fog along with the snow. A truck in front of us hit a donkey and left it for dead - but it wasn't. Out with the leatherman and the poor animal was despatched. The guys who came later on Enfields found this slain beast in a huge pool of blood and wondered what crazy f***er was out and about slitting the throats of poor little donkeys!

I'm passing a bus coming the other way when this guy who is crossing the road behind the bus runs out directly into my path. Only doing about 50-55kmh but I only see him as I'm about to hit him. Hit the brakes as I try to move to the right and miss him but there's no chance. I hit him hard and the front end tucks and down I go - equally hard. Luckily I'm wearing most of my protective gear so not too badly scuffed. The guy is ok too. Bike doesn't fare so well - tank dented and rocker cover broken - oil is pissing out over the road.
[/QUOTE]
Sounds just like Union Street on a Monday Morning.....

Got your last set pics and very nice too. ... keep um coming
Looks like your on road tyres there.... must've been slipping and sliding about a bit on those roads out there?
Enjoy and keep on posting.. enjoyable to read and share

Yeah the Michelin TCK 66s are no offroad tyre - that's for sure. It's fun trying though - but less fun picking the bike up.

Broke the gearshift a while back while offroading (well the footrest hanger broke where the shifter mounts on the back of it). Fixed it with araldite and it held for weeks but broke this morning - had to ride 200km to Srinagar in 3rd gear - D'oh!

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